Who will be the next one for a record-breaking deal after Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto? It’s none other than Vladimir Guererro Jr. Yes, the Blue Jays slugger has accumulated enough numbers to break the ceiling in next year’s offseason. The Blue Jays just managed to get Guererro back for this season avoiding the arbitration but what lies ahead will be enough to break the bank. For the unversed, the Blue Jays offered $28 million to keep Guererro for 2025.

Well, even with Guererro posting enough numbers, the Mets president David Stearns thinks otherwise. He is skeptical if anyone else is there to fetch a Soto-like contract. While the 2x Silver Slugger winner got enough worth, Stearns’ view left the fans wondering if Guererro is overhyped. The new-age trend of undervaluing 1B players is also going against Vladdy. So how is Guererro faring if pitted against Soto and what are the specialties about him to be the next blue-eyed boy from free agency?

Vladimir Guererro’s numbers do the talking

While there will be debate about Guererro’s worth of fetching a record-breaking deal, stats are on his side. Since his debut in 2019, he was selected in All-Star four times, 2x Silver Slugger, and the leading home run leader in 2021. A player till his age-25 season is coming up with these numbers! If that’s not enough, he has ended 2024 with 30 HRs and 103 RBIs for the Jays. Even if the current tide of undervalued 1B is considered, these numbers of Vladimir Guererro are enough to turn the tide. However, why does Stearns feel about Soto being a generational talent and no one can match that in the next few years?

“Regardless of how deep an organization’s pockets are, you can’t do multiple of these. In terms of these generational types of contracts, you probably have one shot to shoot”, said Stearns. This sounds logical how it is difficult for any big teams like the Mets and Dodgers to offer outrageous deals for multiple times. The Mets after offering $750 million to Soto cannot offer the same to anyone else even if eligible. However, other deep-pocketed teams in MLB can make noise for Guererro. So where Vladimir Guererro is standing against Soto? IS Guererro offering enough value for the teams to make them go behind him?

Exciting future ahead

Well, in the majority of areas, Soto is well ahead of Guererro. Till the age-25 season, Guererro scored 160 HRs against Soto’s 201 HRs. Soto is ahead also in terms of SB, where he is standing at 57, while Vladdy is at 20. So, undoubtedly Soto is ahead but the value Guererro posted is also something worth an exorbitant deal. One area where Guererro excels is his persona. He is a “face of the franchise” player who engages fans and moves merchandise. In a league where individual star power is hard to come by, Vladimir Guererro has it. 

Reportedly, Guererro got an offer of $450 million from the Jays that is pending. It seems that he is more interested in hitting free agency and with a $450 million offer in hand, he is expected to fetch higher from other teams. While Stearns termed Soto as a generational talent, Guererro belongs to the same group offering a versatile package. He is now 25 and yet to reach his prime, which also creates a good case for the suitors to go behind him. The next offseason is going to become exciting with Guererro will be the guy to watch out for. 

The next big thing from free agency will undoubtedly be Vladimir Guererro Jr. and it will be surprising to see if his market shrinks after Stearns comments.

What do you think about Guererro’s potential? Share your thoughts with us below.